Please weigh in I'm having trouble deciding if the minimal rank difference between schools matters (ex: golden gate $$$ vs. wayne state, etc.) i'm interested in environmental law, so does that mean i should consider golden gate and capital over thomas jefferson and wayne state? I'm throwing Pace back into the mix. Thank you in advance!

Unadilla Kayaker wrote:Not to be mean, but with those choices go to the one that costs the least.

Unadilla Kayaker- You're not mean. Thanks for your thoughts. It is unfortunate that the options i've listed are my only options. I've thought a great deal about my situation and have decided that i'd still like to pursue law school, despite the fact that tier 3/4 schools are my only option. (some people think i'm nuts for the amount of time I spend on cost benefit analysis, creating spreadsheets and graphs in excel, etc).

I do really appreciate people cautioning us tier 3/4 seekers (debt is a serious issue when you don’t anticipate being at the top of one’s interview list). Luckily for me, cost of living isn’t an issue; my husband is getting his Ph.D. (fully funded) while I’m in school. Further, I’m going in with the expectation of finding a law job, but will be happy to rely on my science degree for a non-law job after graduating.

Norwood wrote:Seems like those schools are in very different regions. Where do you want to work in the future? That should be the determining factor of it all.

If location isn't a concern for you then I'd say Golden Gate is probably the most attractive of the bunch. Good scholarship and San Francisco seems pretty dedicated to the environment.

Honestly, i'd be fine with any of the locations. Winter, -30 windchill, i've been through it all. I've been hearing a lot about considering regions or cities with tier 3/4 schools. I'll make sure I consider that.